Europe

A change in regulations concerning reprographic fees will introduce a new tax on the most commonly used electronic devices - smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, decoders, data carriers - without going through the normal parliamentary process

A national test of a new emergency alert system will be run: all mobile phone users connected to wireless networks will receive a push notification from Civil Protection/Disaster Relief, also in English; message in Italian, Hungarian in minority areas

Riga Vice Mayor Edvards Ratnieks announced to the press that he is urging illegal immigrants to leave Riga and Latvia in a month, as citizens reportedly feel less safe; migration was one of the issues highlighted in the campaign this year

34-year-old woman from Ethiopia who was working at a youth welfare institution in Oslo was murdered on the job by 18-year-old resident with history of right-wing extremism; he’s also been charged with terrorism as he said attack was politically motivated

A central Berlin street with an unfortunate name referring to 'moros' has been renamed after Anton Wilhelm Amo, a Black German Enlightenment philosopher, who in 1734 became the first Africa-born scholar to receive a European doctorate

Registration period for Czech expats wishing to vote by mail in the upcoming parliamentary elections has closed and first figures report over 24.000 people listed; it is the first time that citizens abroad can vote and it follows a reform passed in 2023

Three Brussels athletes kitesurfed across the Channel reaching England in less than 5 hours and raising €12.500 for charity; while praising the initiative for its intention, Mobility Ministry stressed sailing without permit is illegal and dangerous

The acceptance of all shipments of commercial goods bound to the United States, regardless of their value, will be suspended starting 26 August, Croatian Post has announced, except for letters and gifts from and to private individuals under $100 in value

Eduardo Serra, the most international of Portuguese cinematographers, reportedly died at 81 on 19 August; as a director of photography he collected two Oscar nominations, collaborated with Leconte, Chabrol and worked on the final two Harry Potter films

Over 65.000 students received their high school final results; Leaving Cert 2025 highest grade, H1 with a maximum of 625 points, has been achieved by 2,6% less students in what looks to be the first year of normality after post-pandemic adjusted figures

Maltese Fireworks Association rejected criticism over a display in Mosta, with horses nearby appearing panicked in a video, insisting responsibility lies with animals’ owner, duly noticed, adding that stables are illegal and subject to enforcement notice

Princess Charlene, a former Olympic swimmer, has spoken out to media about the +45% incidence in water-related deaths compared to 2024, saying this “public health emergency” calls for more safety education and supervision around pools, beaches, waterways

Unrest escalated across Serbia, with ruling party supporters clashing violently with student-led protesters and trying to attack journalists, while in Valjevo demonstrators set fire to a ruling Progressive Party office and attacked City Hall